After today's events, the Government in Pristina has said that it is going to start talks with Europe and the US to develop an appropriate declaration of independence statement.

It claims that this statement will now be completed earlier than May, when is when it was previously earmarked for, and it now looks likely that it will come either in January or February next year. Regardless of the timeframe, Kosovan independence now looks inevitable.

The Kosovans say that they want to declare independence in consensus with the international community, and have always said that they want to develop a statement in talks with the EU and US.

The main dissenting voices against this arrangement, Russia and Cyprus, are concerned that this will set a precedent for their own region. Russia is worried about more Chechen moves for independence and Cyprus is concerned that its northern section may do the same.

When this process began, few thought that the Russians would sustain their support for Serbia for so long but they have done so - and now appear determined to set themselves on a collision course with the rest of the world. This, certainly, will do nothing for relations between Russia and the European Union.

It is likely that, if Kosovo had been given full independence after the Nato military action in 1999, the Russian problem we see today would never have existed. Russia was much weaker then than it is now, and Moscow's economic power and influence has increased greatly, leaving it in a position campaign strongly on this issue.

The Serbian Government itself is much too weak to do a great deal about this decision but fume, issue statements expressing their anger, and make symbolic gestures.

Today, the Serbian Minister for Kosovo is on his way from Belgrade to the Kosovan city of Mitrovica where he is going to open an office. This, clearly, is designed as a gesture of sovereignty, but it will have no long-term impact.

Times Recommends

• Settlers burn Koran in mosque attack
• Gorillas threatened by charcoal trade
• Israeli anger at new Palestine food labels